Many Muslims have adopted the Judeo-Christian
ethic which views women as the source of human tragedy because of her alleged
biblical role as the temptress who seduced Adam into disobedience to his
Lord. By tempting her husband to eat the forbidden fruit, she not
only defied Allah, but caused humankind's expulsion from Paradise, thus
instigating all temporal human suffering. Those misogynists who support
this Biblical myth, dredge from the archives of psuedo-Islamic literature
such as false and weak hadiths.

This Old Testament myth is a widely
circulated belief in the Islamic community despite the fact that Allah
in the Qur'an stresses that it was Adam who was solely responsible for
his mistake. In 20:115 it is stated: "We had already, beforehand, taken
the convenant of Adam, but he forgot; and we found on his part no firm
resolve." Verse 20:121-122 continues: "In result, they both ate of the
tree...thus did Adam disobey His Lord, and fell into error. But his
Lord chose for him (From His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him guidance."

Therefore, there is nothing in Islamic
doctrine or in the Qur'an which holds women responsible for Adam's expulsion
from paradise or the consequent misery of humankind. However, misogyny
abounds in the pronouncements of many Islamic "scholars" and "imams."

The result of such misinterpretation
of hadiths and spreading negativity is that entire societies have mistreated
their female members despite the fact that Islam has honored and empowered
the woman in all spheres of life. The woman in Islamic law is equal
to her male counterpart. She is as liable for her actions as a male
is liable. Her testimony is demanded and valid in court. Her
opinions are sought and acted upon. Contrary to the pseudo hadith:
"Consult women and do the opposite," the Prophet (SAW) consulted his wife,
Um Salama on one of the most important issues to the Muslim community.
Such references to the Prophet's positive attitudes toward women disprove
the one hadith falsely attributed to Ali bin Abi Talib: "The woman is all
evil, and the greatest evil about her is that man cannot do without her."

The promotion of such negativity
against women has led many "scholars" and "imams" to make the unsubstantiated
ruling about female speech. They claim that women should lower their
voice to whispers or even silence except when she speaks to her husband,
her guardian or other females. The female act of communication has
become to some a source of temptation and allurement to the male.

The Qur'an, however, specifically
mentions that those seeking information from the Prophet's wives were to
address them from behind a screen (33:53). Since questions require an answer,
the Mothers of the Believers offered fatwas to those who asked and narrated
hadiths to whomever wished to transmit them.

Furthermore, women were accustomed
to question the Prophet (SAW) while men were present. Neither were
they embarassed to have their voices heard nor did the Prophet prevent
their inquires. Even in the case of Omar when he was challenged by
a woman during his khutba on the minbar, he did not deny her. Rather,
he admitted that she was right and he was wrong and said: "Everybody
is more knowledgeable than Omar."

Another Qur'anic example of a woman
speaking publicly is that the daughter of the Shaykh mentioned in the Qur'an
in 28:23. Furthermore, the Qur'an narrates the coversation between Sulayman
and the Queen of Sheba as well as between her and her subjects. All
of these examples support the fatwa that women are allowed to voice their
opinion publicly for whatever has been prescribed to those before us is
prescribed to us, unless it was unanimously rejected by Islamic doctrine.

Thus, the only prohibition is the
female talking softly and flirting in a manner meant to excite and tempt
the male. This is expressed in the Qur'an as complacent speech which Allah
mentions in 33:32: "O consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any of the
other women: If ye do fear Allah, be not too complaisance of speech, lest
one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak
ye a speech that is just."

What is prohibited then is alluring
speech which entices those whose diseased hearts may be moved with desire
and that is not to say that all conversation with women is prohibited for
Allah completes the verse: "...but speak ye a speech that is just." (33:32)

Finding excuses to silence women
is just one of the injustices certain scholars and imams attempt to inflict
upon women. They point to such hadiths as narrated by Bukhari about the
Prophet which says: "I have not left a greater harm to men than women."
They assume that the harm implies that women are an evil curse to be endured
just as one must endure poverty, famine, disease, death and fear.
These "scholars" ignore the fact that man is tried more by his blessings
than by his tragedies.

And Allah says: "And We test you
by evil and by good way of trial." (21:35). To support this argument Allah
says in the Qur'an that two of the most appreciated blessings of life,
wealth and children, are trials. Allah says: "And know ye that your
posessions and your progeny are but a trial." (Anfal 28) A woman,
despite the blessings she bestows on her relations, can also be a trial
for she may distract a man from his duty toward Allah. Thus, Allah
creates awareness how blessings can be misguided so that they become curses.
Men can use their spouses as an excuse for not performing jihad or for
eschewing sacrafice for the compiling of wealth. Allah in the
Qur'an warns: "Truly among your wives and children are enemies for you."
(64:14)

The warning is the same as for the
blessings of abundant welath and offspring (63:9). In addition, the sahih
hadith says: "By Allah I don't fear for you poverty, but I fear that the
world would be abundant for you as it has been for those before you so
you compete for it as they have competed for it, so it destroys you as
it has destroyed them." (Agreed upon) This hadith does not mean that the
Prophet (SAW) encouraged poverty.

Poverty is a curse from which the
Prophet sought refuge from Allah. He did not mean for his Ummah to be bereft
of wealth and abundance for he said: "The best of the good wealth is for
the pious person." (narrated by ahmed and Al-Hakam) Women are also a gift
for the pious person for the Qur'an mentions the Muslim men and women (the
Muslimat), the believing men (Mumins) and women Muminat as aids and comforts
for each other here and in the hereafter. The Prophet did not condemn
the blessings Allah provided for his Ummah. Rather the Prophet wished
to guide the Muslims and his Ummah away from the slippery slope whose bottomless
pit is a mire of callousness and desire.